Over 300 South Korean workers head home after Georgia immigration raid

(GEORGIA, UNITED STATES) More than 300 South Korean workers detained during a high-profile immigration raid at a battery factory site in Georgia have left Atlanta and flown home after a week in custody, ending a tense standoff that tested business ties and immigration policy between the United States and South Korea. A chartered Korean Air Boeing 747-8i departed Atlanta on September 12, 2025, and landed at Incheon International Airport, where families and reporters gathered to welcome the workers back. The release followed days of direct talks led by South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and a wave of public concern in both countries.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) carried out the enforcement action on September 4 at a Hyundai campus near Savannah, where a large battery factory is under construction as a joint venture with LG Energy Solution. In total, 475 people were detained, including 316 South Korean workers and smaller groups of Chinese, Japanese, and Indonesian workers.

Officials said some individuals had entered the country without proper authorization, while others overstayed visas or were performing work not allowed under the Visa Waiver Program (ESTA) or B-1/B-2 visitor status. Many had been brought in on short-term entries to help with factory setup—an approach companies say was common practice but is not permitted for hands-on labor in the U.S.

Detention, release, and privacy requests

The group spent roughly a week at a detention center in Folkston, Georgia, about 285 miles southeast of Atlanta. Among those detained was a pregnant woman.

After negotiations, the majority—about 330 people, including the 316 South Korean nationals—were cleared to leave on the charter flight. Only one South Korean national, who has U.S. relatives, chose to remain in the country.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry urged media outlets to protect the workers’ privacy and asked broadcasters to blur faces in footage.

“Protect the privacy of the workers,” officials requested, reflecting concern about the emotional stress of detention and return.

Timeline and key facts

1. September 4, 2025: ICE conducts an immigration raid at the Hyundai campus near Savannah. 475 people detained, including 316 South Koreans plus Chinese, Japanese, and Indonesian workers.
2. Detainees are transported to an immigration detention center in Folkston, Georgia, and remain there for about a week. A pregnant woman is among those held.
3. September 12, 2025: A chartered Boeing 747-8i departs Atlanta carrying repatriated workers. The aircraft lands at Incheon International Airport to a large reception.
4. By September 13, 2025: South Korea confirms only one national chose to stay in the U.S. due to family ties. The government reiterates calls for privacy protections.

South Korean officials said the U.S. initially paused the departure to consider whether some workers should remain briefly to train U.S. staff, reflecting the complicated mix of workforce needs and immigration compliance at fast-moving industrial sites.

Diplomatic fallout and policy implications

The episode sparked fast-moving diplomatic activity. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung warned that planned investment in the U.S. could be rethought unless visa rules for skilled Korean workers improve.

The raid came shortly after a summit between President Donald Trump and President Lee, and soon after South Korea announced a plan to invest about $350 billion in American industry in exchange for lower U.S. tariffs. The battery plant near Savannah is one of more than 20 major industrial sites underway by South Korean firms in the U.S., underscoring how closely manufacturing expansion and immigration rules now intersect.

U.S. authorities emphasized that immigration law must be enforced. According to U.S. statements, some workers arrived without the right permissions, and others violated the terms of their entry by performing work not allowed under ESTA or visitor visas.

Korean companies, by contrast, say they have long sent teams on short stints to launch production lines, install equipment, or train local staff because formal work visas are too slow and often unavailable. Analysis by VisaVerge.com notes this clash between business timelines and visa categories has been building for years as foreign manufacturers scale up operations across the Southeast.

Agreement on a working group

In the end, both governments agreed to form a new working group focused on visa solutions for industrial cooperation. Officials said the group will consider creating:

• A new visa category or quota tailored to short-term technical work at U.S. plants run by Korean firms
• Streamlined processes that allow Korean business personnel to enter legally for limited, project-based assignments

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has asked the U.S. Congress to back the plan and support a streamlined path. As of September 13, 2025, no new visa classification has been formally rolled out, but discussions are expected to begin quickly with the stated goal of avoiding repeat incidents and keeping factory projects on track.

Business, legal, and operational responses

Companies and legal teams responded by tightening compliance and re-evaluating deployment strategies.

• Legal audits of travel patterns, job duties, and on-site activities began immediately.
• Project managers cataloged tasks by risk level to identify activities that might cross into prohibited labor under visitor entries.
• HR and compliance teams reworked rollout plans to reduce exposure during build-out and launch.
• Communications teams briefed U.S. partners and local officials to manage expectations and public messaging.

Kim Dong Myung, CEO of LG Energy Solution, said the raid would not trigger major delays to the Georgia factory’s launch, describing disruptions as “within a level we can manage.” Executives indicated more reliance on local U.S. hires for roles that can be trained remotely and careful sequencing for tasks that truly require factory veterans from Korea.

Lawyers expect employers to move away from gray-area short-term entries and toward employment-authorized categories, even if those are slower and harder to obtain. Other likely adjustments include:

• More remote guidance and staggered, smaller deployments
• Early embedding of U.S. employees with Korean teams abroad
• Larger U.S.-based training centers to reduce cross-border travel at launch time
• Clear contract terms assigning immigration compliance responsibilities

Worker experience and community reaction

The detained South Korean workers returned home relieved but shaken. Many described confusion over allowed activities and feeling blindsided by the scale of the immigration raid. Some had never been to the U.S.; others had undertaken similar assignments for years without issue.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry asked the press to protect workers’ privacy. Consular officials worked around the clock to secure access, arrange basic needs in detention, and coordinate the charter flight home. Labor groups and civic organizations greeted returnees at Incheon with banners and warm clothing.

Local communities in Georgia are focused on project continuity. State and local leaders welcomed the plant for job creation and tax revenue, and will closely monitor whether schedules hold and whether U.S. workers can be trained quickly enough to fill critical roles.

Legal and policy context

U.S. officials say the law is clear: visitor entries do not authorize employment or factory labor, even if the stay is short and the worker is paid by a foreign company. ICE maintains enforcement priorities on worksites and argues that proper vetting and work authorization protect U.S. and foreign workers alike.

The broader policy problem is that the U.S. visa system was not designed for modern industrial launch cycles that need short bursts of specialized labor. Existing categories often require petitions, lead time, and caps that do not match on-the-ground schedules. The working group may propose a narrow, supervised, time-limited visa for short-term, site-specific work at approved industrial locations. Possible program elements include:

• Strict employer vetting and approval
• Clear job descriptions and time limits
• Proof of training plans for U.S. hires
• Reporting requirements and audits

Legal advocates argue that such a visa could balance enforcement with industrial needs, reducing costly gray areas for workers, companies, and communities. VisaVerge.com reports similar conversations in shipbuilding, semiconductor tooling, and other sectors that move specialized teams across borders.

Immediate priorities and next steps

Practical questions now dominate boardrooms and households:

• Can companies meet project deadlines with fewer visiting technicians?
• Can U.S. hires be trained fast enough to avoid delays?
• Will Congress back a new visa path that matches industrial realities?

For now, the safest approach for employers is to treat visitor entries as off-limits for any on-site work resembling labor or production setup. That approach includes:

• Clear job descriptions and careful training plans
• Early planning for employment-authorized visa options where possible
• Stronger coordination with local U.S. teams ready to take handoffs rapidly

For workers who returned, priorities are rest, medical checks for those who need them, and reconnection with family. Many will be asked to share their experiences with company compliance teams to prevent similar incidents.

Final note

The Georgia raid stands as a turning point. It shows how immigration enforcement can quickly affect high-value projects when companies rely on short-term entries for work the law treats as employment. It also demonstrates that diplomacy can unlock potential solutions when mutual economic interests align.

Both governments say they want to prevent a repeat: Korean leaders have tied future investment to visa clarity, while U.S. officials have agreed to explore a new route while keeping enforcement in place. Companies are rewriting playbooks to reduce risk. Workers hope future travel will come with a safer, clearer plan.

For updates on enforcement priorities and employer guidance, readers can consult ICE’s official resources on worksite enforcement at the agency’s website: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Worksite Enforcement.